Abdullah enters the final year of his contract, which pays a base salary of $876,745, but being a healthy scratch in Week 1 doesn't help his cause to earn a bigger contract when he's eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2019.

The Lions have ranked at or near the bottom of the league in rushing for three straight seasons. They've addressed the issue over the offseason by signing Blount and selecting Johnson in the second round of the draft.